This invention relates generally to a novel dispenser cup which may be employed in mechanical apparatuses, most often washing machines. More particularly, said mechanism comprises a top cap positioned above a bottom cup. Said dispenser cup is capable of fully dispensing a laundry additive placed therein.
A number of patent references describe dispensers which use centrifugal force developed by a washing machine during a spin phase to effect release of a laundry additive which is most effective in the rinse cycle. As used herein, "laundry additive" refers to any composition added to enhance the cleanliness, sanitation or aesthetics of fabrics, and includes, but is not limited to fabric softeners, detergents, whiteners, antistat agents, bleaches, bleach activators, anti-redeposition agents, enzymes and mixtures of the foregoing.
In several of these related art patents, laundry additive dispensers are mounted on an agitator post to use centrifugal force to transfer an additive from a reservoir compartment to a release compartment. At the same time, a washing tub and an agitator are rotating to spin out wash water. As the agitator comes to a stop at the end of a spin cycle, the laundry additive drains into the tub. Dispensers of this type are disclosed, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,277 issued to Manthei; U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,574 issued to Sundstrom; U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,957 issued to Marcussen; U.S. Pat. No. 3,736,773, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,699,785 both issued to Waugh; U.S. Pat. No. 3,620,054 issued to Drews et al: U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,480 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,135 issued to Douglas; U.S. Pat. No. 3,481,163 issued to Bochan et al: and U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,059 issued to Yates.
Other dispensers which utilize centrifugal force to release an additive but which are not attached to the agitator include U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,515 issued to Townsend, which describes a free body dispenser having a balloon-like additive reservoir which releases additive under pressure generated by spin phase centrifugal forces, especially if the reservoir is sandwiched between a laundry load and the sidewall of the machine. Brenner et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,573 describes a centrifugally-actuated two-chamber dispenser which hangs on the rim of the wash tub. Operation of the device of Brenner et al is similar to the agitator-mounted two-chamber dispensers, i.e., centrifugal fill of an outer chamber and gravity flow after the spin ceases.
The dispenser cup disclosed within this application has several advantages over the before mentioned related art dispenser cups. First, most of the related art dispenser cups cannot fully dispense all of the laundry additive during a spin phase. This results in the retention of a significant additive residue in the cup at the end of operation. Such a result is undesirable because of the unsightly appearance of the residue in the cup which must ultimately be cleaned out by the user/consumer.
Furthermore, many of the related art dispenser cups have complex surface undercuts and require the use of complex and expensive clamshell type molds when using a plastic molding material. This results in extra time and money being expended during the manufacturing process and ultimately increasing the overall product cost. Furthermore, several of the related art dispenser cups need a substantial amount of cooling time, further increasing the manufacturing costs.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved dispenser cup which fully dispenses its contents during use and can easily and quickly be molded during manufacturing. This improved dispenser cup would solve the problem of residue buildup, save time and cost during manufacturing, and inevitably create an overall cost savings for the consumer. It is the purpose of this invention to fulfill these and other needs in the art in a manner more apparent to the skilled artisan once given the following disclosure.